


The Church of Angelic Truth

by Anxious_Wings



Category: Supernatural
Genre: AU, Cult!au, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, M/M, Slight sexual assault, just a bit of smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-06
Updated: 2015-05-06
Packaged: 2018-03-29 08:47:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3889978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anxious_Wings/pseuds/Anxious_Wings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Castiel was born into the mysterious Church of Angelic Truth, aka a cult that's overtaken the midwestern United States. Once he meets Dean Winchester on his missionary trip, the doubts that he feels start to worsen. Even more troubling, when the Church leaders get clued in on Castiel's rebellion, they refuse to allow even the possibility of his escape.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Church of Angelic Truth

**The Church of Angelic Truth**

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

* * *

 

The **Church of Angelic Truth** (formerly known as the **Guardians of God and Heaven** ) is a controversial and secretive religious group that began in 1965 after taking root in _Lawrence, Kansas._ It has since spread into several states, including _Oklahoma_ , _New Mexico, Utah,_ and _Missouri._ The **Church of Angelic Truth** (or **CAT** ) was renamed after an incident in 2006. **CAT** attempted to rebrand its image after a highly publicized case led to **The Guardians of God and Heaven** becoming a household name. One of the Church’s most prominent leaders, known only as _Lucifer_ , was murdered for unknown reasons. It has been suspected that the young adult was attempting to leave the cult, which angered other leaders. However, the police have no such evidence at this time. Unfortunately, _Lucifer’s_ murderer has yet to be brought to justice. Despite **CAT** ’s efforts, the Church continues to be a well-known presence in the Midwestern United States.

The **CAT** are almost entirely self-sufficient and only leave their compounds to recruit new members. Little is known about their belief system as they do not allow any outsiders to take part in their worship or to view the compounds. Although rumors about _abuse_ and _sexual assault_ run rampant, police are unable to investigate as they lack any witnesses to the supposed crimes.

 

_SPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPN_

Castiel and the other Angels, contrary to popular belief, were not entirely strangers to the outside world. When they were young, before Lucifer fell and was banished, the Church had allowed the youth group to go on yearly retreats. They were held in a secluded forest, away from sinners and non-members, but they still had to drive straight through town. Michael had always preached that those who were not part of the commune were disgusting, terrible creatures that allowed lust and sin to rule their lives. Everyone was supposed to spend the entire trip praying with their eyes close. Castiel had strictly complied, until he turned fourteen. At fifteen, he would be considered an adult and would graduate from youth group. He would no longer be able to go on the retreats. So, in a fit of insatiable curiosity, he had looked. Other children before him had claimed to have looked- they’d tell stories around the campfire of the unwashed sinners who were attacking each other in the streets. The adults overheard, once in a while. They’d admonish the children for looking and then remind them that they were only safe from the monsters because they were in the commune. As Michael loved to repeat, “sinners have no knowledge of civilization.” But Castiel had looked. He’d seen the sinners. He’d peered out of the corner of his eye and looked out the window, expecting murder and destruction. It would’ve troubled him less to see mass destruction. But no. In reality, he saw how normal it all looked. It was very different from the compound, of course. More disorganized, maybe. But there was no viciousness or chaos.

When they reached camp, he’d kept quiet. Those who questioned things were bad Angels, and Castiel could not afford to be bad. To his annoyance, every time he tried to push the event out of his mind, he couldn’t. It was always there, a lingering doubt that left him praying for forgiveness for days.

 

_SPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPN_

_Time skip: six years_

“You’re eighteen now, Castiel. It is part of your duty to spread the Truth.”

“I know, Zachariah. Of course I want to spread the Truth. I’m just afraid of-”

Zachariah looked up sharply from his desk.

“There is no need to fear when God is with you. Is God with you, Castiel?”

“Yes! God is always with me.”

“Good. Then the matter is settled.”

Zachariah returned to whatever he was working on. Castiel struggled not to fidget on the hard wooden stool he sat in.

“But all the things you’ve told us about the outside-”

“You have been prepared as much as possible. What you see when you leave the compound will be your ultimate test. The outside will now seem perfect to you. Peaceful, happy, free. But the truth is that it’s all a test, a lie. If you remember that, you will return back to us safely.”

Castiel nodded slowly and thanked the older Angel. He knew it was no use to argue.

“And you’d do best to remember what happens to traitors, Castiel.”

“Yes, sir.”

Zachariah dismissed him with a wave. Castiel kept a serene and stoic face as he exited the room, just as the Church demanded.

_He who shows emotion shows weakness and betrays his Lord._

All the children were taught the Truth from birth. There was no room for error, regardless of age. Castiel still remembered the punishment he received for smiling at a friend in the first grade. He had not made the same mistake again.

“Castiel!”

“Hello, Samandriel.”

Samandriel and Castiel had both been placed on manual labor for the past two months. The Church says that the chores are randomly distributed, but Castiel would bet his few possessions that Zachariah had never been on manual labor. In the Church, school was only necessary up until the sixth grade. After that, “ _all one needs to know is the Truth_ ,” so children begin contributing to the compound.

“Aren’t you excited? I can’t wait until I’m eighteen!”

The two Angels crossed the compound, towards the fields where they grew their food.

“Of course.”

Samandriel continued to blabber on about how excited he is to save souls. Castiel usually put up with Samandriel’s talkativeness, but after today he simply wasn’t in the mood.

“ _He who speaks without necessity speaks to sin.”_

 Samandriel apologized quickly and began to pray his silent repent. For a moment, Castiel savored the quiet work. Tomorrow would begin his six month missionary tour, and he was anything but excited. Since he had looked out the window on the bus as a child, a small seed of doubt had planted within him and refused to leave. He felt doubt about the Church, about what the Truth really is, about all the things he’s ever been told… Castiel constantly faced a battle within himself over his faith and his doubt. It was crushing him. He worried that the missionary trip would be the final nail in his coffin.

He just had to remember that it was a test. Everything outside was a test to make him lose resolve. In a fit of anxiousness, Castiel began to bite his tongue. It was the only way of expressing himself that he’d been allowed. No one could see him bite his tongue, so he’d started doing it to rebel when he was young. The habit had stuck with him and now every time he felt something he couldn’t express, he just bit his tongue. Unhealthy? Possibly. Castiel didn’t care as long as it kept him following the rules and out of the line of punishment.

Samandriel began humming a hymn under his breath as he began weeding the garden. Castiel hummed quietly along with him. Most hated manual labor, but Castiel didn’t mind it terribly. It let him work in the garden. He was always satisfied when he watched the plants being to sprout. Sometimes he thought that he’d like to plant flowers, but flowers aren’t necessities. They’d never allow him to grow an unnecessary plant.

“ _I have found my Lord,_

_I have been His Angel,_

_I will shepherd the horde_

_And I will guide each stranger-!”_

“Samandriel! Castiel!”

The pair fell silent before they’d even realized they were singing. Michael entered the greenhouse and carelessly trampled the plants as he walked.

“Do you know the Truth?” came the familiar question.

“Yes, sir.” came the same answer, as always.

“Then you know that song out of Church is a sin. _He who sings out of Mass sings for himself, not God._ Castiel, how can I expect you to start missionary tomorrow if you cannot even remember the most basic of commands?”

Castiel bit his tongue. All of the rules that the Church set were ridiculous and insane! Every time someone turned around, they broke a rule.

“I am sorry, sir.”

“You need not apologize to me, Castiel. You must ask the Lord for forgiveness!”

Michael grabbed Castiel by his shirt and began to drag him out of the greenhouse.

“You are older than Samandriel, you should know better than to break the rules!”

Castiel couldn’t help but struggle against the larger adult. Michael kept his grip firm as he led Castiel out to the barn.

“Michael, I’m sorry, it was a mistake-”

“THERE IS NO ROOM FOR MISTAKES!”

Michael roared at him. He pushed the young Angel to the straw and dirt floor of the barn. Michael leered over him, holding a whip that they used on the horses.

“You must learn your place, Castiel. If you are ever to be ready for missionary, you must pay for all your sins.”

Everyone in the Church knew that Michael was the strictest leader. Sometimes there were murmurs that he took pleasure in the beatings he seemed to seek out. At times like this, Castiel could see why.

Michael methodically raised and lowered the whip onto Castiel’s vulnerable back. It pierced through the light blue shirt that all Angels wore, leaving angry red welts on his skin. Michael continued the punishment for several minutes, giving as many lashes as he felt Castiel deserved. When he was finally done, he dropped the whip, panting.

“Tomorrow you leave us, Castiel. You must learn strength or you’ll be lost forever.”

Michael walked out of the barn without another word. Castiel sobbed from his place on the ground, praying for forgiveness.

_If I hadn’t thought all of those doubts, I wouldn’t be here now. I deserve so much worse._

“C-Castiel?”

Samandriel quietly appeared in front of the Angel.

“I’m so sorry… This is my fault.”

“No, it’s mine, Samandriel. Just help me up.”

Samandriel ignored Castiel’s tears as he steadied him.

“Tomorrow… I’ll do better.”

Castiel promised before passing out.

 

_SPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPN_

Dean Winchester was not the church-going type. In fact, he was more of a rock ‘n roll, chicks, and beer type. But as a resident of Kansas, home of the Church of Angelic Truths biggest compounds, he’d learnt how to deal with more than his fair share of missionaries. The Church came to bother him (and everyone) else at least a few times a year. Not even the ‘NO SOLICITING’ stickers on the door to the salvage yard did much to stop them. As kids, he and Sam had thought up more and more creative ways to drive them out. One time, Sam had convinced them that he was a perfectly normal kid that was interested in faith, but as soon as he’d gotten them inside he pretended that he was a Satanist. Those poor missionaries ran out faster than Dean thought they could move.

Sam was at Stanford now though, so it was just him and Bobby running the shop. Bobby wasn’t much of a fan of the joke.

“Those kids are brainwashed, ya ‘idgit. Leave ‘em be.”

He’d always grumble. So, Dean had fallen out of the habit and now he usually just shut the door in their faces as politely as possible.

“You’d better’ve finished that motorcycle before you started tinkerin’ around with the Impala.”

Dean pushed himself from beneath his car. His father hadn’t left him and Sam much when he ditched them at Bobby’s and hit the road, but he did leave that.  

“Yeah, I finished it before lunch. Just had to fix the coolant line.”

“Alright. Think we’re done for the day then. I gotta go run some errands, you need anythin’?”

“Nah, I’m good. See ya.”

Bobby gave a noncommittal wave as he walked out of the lot and to his pickup. Dean glanced back at the Impala. He was only doing some minor maintenance so he wasn’t in much of a rush. Right now, he was covered in grease and could use more of a shower than anything. He was about to walk back into the house when an awkward, but deep voice caught his attention.

“Hello! IamamemberoftheChurchofAngelicTruthandIwould-”

“Jesus, slow down. First day on the job?”

A young man with a light blue shirt was lingering at the entrance of the salvage yard. He’d clearly seen the ‘no soliciting’ sign and was struggling to talk to him while not breaking the law. Dean had to do a double take when he saw him. The guy was attractive, extremely so. His eyes were just a few shades darker than his shirt, making them impossible not to focus on. His hair was dark and feathery, leaving Dean with the urge to run his hand through it.

“Actually, um, yes.”

“Hm?” Dean had gotten distracted by the stranger’s looks. “Oh, right. Wow. Well, I’m not interested so-”

The man was standing as if he had a rod up his ass. His posture was military precise, but he looked like he was in deep discomfort. He was trying to conceal his heavy breathing and the way he was struggling to remain upright.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes, of course. My name is Castiel, I’m an Angel in the Church of Angelic Truth.”

“Definitely an angel, alright.” Dean muttered to himself. “I’m Dean. Listen, like I said, I’m not really interested. Good luck, though.”

“Thank you for listening, Dean. Have a blessed day.”

Castiel turned around to leave and Dean was about to do the same when something caught his eye. Several slashes of red were deeply wetting the backside of Castiel’s shirt. Blood.

“Jesus fuck! I mean, shit, sorry. No blasphemy, right. You’re bleeding, Cas! Come ‘ere, that looks nasty. You might need stitches.”

Dean crossed the lot to Castiel with a few quick strides. The Angel made several attempts to play the wounds down, but Dean wouldn’t let up. He gently held Castiel by his forearm and led him into the house.

“What happened to you?”

“Uh, I was injured by a car.”

“You got hit by a car and didn’t even go to the hospital?! What’s wrong with you?”

Castiel gave a pained smile as the pair entered the house.

“Didn’t think I was hurt much, is all.”

Dean pushed Castiel into the couch.

“I’ll call for an ambulance, wait here.”

“No!”

Castiel startled himself with how quickly he grabbed Dean’s arm.

“You can’t. They’ll, uh, blame the Church. Whenever an Angel gets hurt they get hounded, even if it’s an accident.”

Dean sighed and shook his head.

“Fine, then let me go grab some stuff from the medicine cabinet. I’ll be right back. No moving.”

As soon as Castiel found himself alone, he covered his eyes. His back was burning horribly and definitely needed medical attention. But then again, as soon as Dean returned, he’d see that the injuries couldn’t have possibly happened from being hit by a car. Castiel slowly stood up, trying to remember all the spots where the floor creaked. If he could just sneak out-

“Dean, I forgot the- Aw, who the hell are you? Dean, are you screwin’ around with the missionaries again?”

“Bobby!” Dean popped back into the room holding an array of supplies.

“No, he got hurt. I’m just patching him up.”

“Actually, I think I’ll be-”

“Quiet, Cas.”

“How’d he get hurt?”

“I’m right here and I was-”

“Hit by a car, apparently.”

Castiel sat back down in annoyance.

“That so?”

Bobby squinted at Castiel suspiciously. Castiel stared at him before turning back to Dean.

“As I was _saying_ , I think I’ll be fine on my own.”

“Really?” Dean asked sarcastically. “Why don’t you go ahead and touch your toes then?”

“Um. What?”

“You’re fine, right? So just touch your toes and you can go.”

Castiel grimaced. Arching his back would tear out the parts of his wounds that had started to scab over. He bit his tongue and stood up again, ready to bend down.

“Hey, woah, stop! I wasn’t serious! Don’t actually do that, you’re gonna hurt yourself.”

Dean gently pushed the Angel back into the chair.

“Take off your shirt so I can see what this looks like.”

Castiel glanced between the two men. It seemed he didn’t really have a choice. With Dean’s help, he took the shirt off and allowed them to see his back.

“Christ.”

Dean muttered as he stood behind the chair.

“This is not-… So no one looked at this?”

“No.”

Dean cursed again and started sifting through supplies.

“You’re gonna need stitches. Bobby, grab the whiskey for him.”

“No, I can’t drink-”

“Listen, you refuse to go to the hospital and we have no painkillers. Drink the damn whiskey.”

Bobby passed Castiel some of the amber liquor. Castiel sniffed it and frowned before taking a long sip. He coughed a bit, which made Dean chuckle.

“Alright, I’m going to start stitching this.”

Dean began painstakingly sowing up the wound. Castiel stayed silent as long as he could before looking for a distraction.

“How’d you learn to do this?”

“My dad used to get in a lot of bar fights.”

“Oh. Sorry to hear.”

Dean made a noncommittal sound. Bobby said something like “idgits” and “damn missionaries” before leaving the room.

“So, do you want to tell me what really happened?”

Cas stiffened.

“God, relax. I’m just askin’. The lie was pretty obvious. What did this, a whi-”

“I don’t want to speak about it.”

Dean was silent for a few minutes. After a few more gulps of whiskey, Castiel lost track of time. Dean finished stitching and wrapped up the wound in gauze.

“This dressing needs to be changed every four hours, got it?”

Castiel nodded seriously.

“Thank you, Dean.”

He stood up and almost immediately tipped over. Luckily, Dean had fast reflexes and caught him before any more damage was done.

“You’re sloshed. I don’t think I can return you to the cult like this.”

“’S not a cult! ‘S a CHURCH.”

“Right, Church. Either way, you gotta sleep this off.”

“Nooo! I’ll be gone too long! They’ll be mad!”

“Well, tell ‘em I was having a crisis of faith, or somethin’. I dunno.”

Castiel grumbled a bit, but settled down. He passed out practically before Dean lowered him back onto the couch.

“Pickin’ up strays, kid?”

Dean turned around to see Bobby coming in from the kitchen with two beers.

“He’s not a stray. Just letting him crash here.”

Bobby shrugged and handed over the beer.

“Whatever you say, Dean.”

 

_SPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPN_

He made a mistake. He _always_ makes mistakes. The rest of the Church was surrounding him now, watching him as Michael delivered his punishment.

“You idiot! Can’t, you, stop, screwing, up?”

Michael yelled in time with the blows he delivered.

“You are no true Angel. You do not know the Truth!”

The crowd began screaming and advanced towards him. He was powerless. This was what he deserved, for breaking the rules, for doubting. The Angels streamed over him and hit him over and over with anything they had. Feet kicked his stomach, rocks pelted his head. He didn’t realize he was screaming until he heard the voice.

“CAS?”

Castiel was shaken out of his nightmare. Dean was standing over him in his boxers, shaking his shoulder. Cas blinked the sleep away and tried to apologize.

“I’m so sorry, Dean, I didn’t mean-”

Dean shook his head and sat down on the couch next to him.

“I have nightmares too. It’s nothing to be sorry about.”

“Oh… You do? What… What are yours about?”

Dean was silent. Castiel worried that he had overstepped his bounds, that he had annoyed the only person who had truly helped him.

“My dad.”

Castiel didn’t know how to respond. He was deeply conflicted. The Church always taught him to tell the truth, but now… He didn’t know what was right.

“They whipped me.”

Dean’s head snapped to Castiel’s. Cas was watching the ground intently.

“I broke a rule, so they whipped me.”

“What’d you do?”

“I was singing.”

Dean clenched his fists. Castiel closed his eyes, preparing for an onslaught of insults.

“Those _bastards_.”

“But, I broke the rules. I should’ve-”

“God, Cas, look at yourself. They’re a fucking cult. They beat you for singing, Jesus H.”

Dean stood up and started to pace the room. Castiel kept his eyes glued to the floor. Dean was still only in his boxers, and Castiel knew temptation when he saw it. The Church had taught plenty about homosexuality, leaving Cas refusing to accept that he was attracted to men.

“They whipped you, for singing, those assholes. How can you stay? How can you stay and let yourself be hurt like that?”

Dean was stopped in front of Castiel, directing his anger at him.

“They’re my family. They told me that during missionary I’d be tested, tempted to leave the Church.”

“So is that all I’m supposed to be? Your fucking temptation? You can only leave on your own terms, Cas. I can’t force you. But you seem smart enough to know that what they’re teaching you is bullshit.”

Castiel still couldn’t look Dean in the eye. After a long silence, Dean left the room. Castiel waited to make sure he was gone and then quietly left out the front door. He had waited too long to leave already.

 

_SPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPN_

“Where. Have. You. Been?”

Castiel jumped. He’d been hoping to return as unnoticed as possible, but that didn’t quite work. Raphael, the leader of his missionary group, was waiting up for him in front of his room.

“You missed role call, Castiel. Do I need to repeat myself?”

“No, sir. I’m sorry. There was… a spiritual crisis.”

Raphael was clearly surprised.

“A spiritual crisis?”

“Yes. I met a young man who talked to me about his issues with faith for hours. When I noticed the time, I excused myself right away.”

Raphael plastered on the usual pleasing smile that Angels wore when out of the compound.

“Ah, of course. Please, be more careful next time, Angel Castiel. God would be disappointed in your lateness.”

“Yes, Raphael. Excuse me while I get to bed.”

Castiel slipped by the older Angel and opened the door to his room. It was a small space, shared with two others. He had only his bed, sheets, and a few clothes. As he entered, the others didn’t stir. For that, he was thankful. The walk home had taken him longer than expected. He was past due to change his bandages.

Cas dug through his meager piles of clothing. He’d have to sacrifice something to make use as a bandage. He decided on cutting up a pair of pants.  It seemed easiest to tie around his back. Once he finished, he crawled into bed and shut his eyes. Tomorrow (or later today, rather), he had to wake up early and continue his mission. He thought it was best not to think about Dean or his doubts anymore.

 

_SPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPN_

Dean was furious. Castiel had disappeared during the night, injured and upset. There was no way for him to tell if Castiel was in trouble for returning late, or if he’d even made it back safe. When he and Bobby had come down that morning, he’d been ready to go out looking. Then Bobby reminded him that Castiel made his own choices and that there was nothing they could do. That had been two days ago, and Dean hadn’t seen Castiel since.

None of that meant he hadn’t wondered about Cas, though. At first he’d really tried to put the blue eyed man out of his mind, tried to forget what happened. It hadn’t worked very well. He was still worried.

Dean rolled down the Impala’s windows and turned up Metallica. He just needed a relaxing drive to get his mind off things. The shop wasn’t busy today, so he’d bunked off early. He wasn’t focused enough to work anyways. He pulled up to a stoplight and drummed his fingers on the dashboard. He let his eyes wander over to the sidewalk, where a group of people in light blue shirts were standing. Angels. Dean leaned closer and searched for Cas’ face. It surprised him when he saw him. Castiel was standing around, making pleasant conversation with the others. He hadn’t noticed Dean.

A car honked, knocking Dean out of his thoughts. The light had changed. Castiel turned to see why someone was honking, accidently locking eyes with Dean. The two stared silently for a second before Castiel turned away. Dean hit the gas and didn’t look back.

_SPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPN_

“Castiel? Did you know him?” Raphael asked.

“No, I didn’t.”

The other missionaries noticed Castiel’s discomfort. They change the subject how their missions were going, but Cas couldn’t concentrate. He was thinking about Dean and about what he’d said. The outside world was supposed to be a test, nothing more. So far it was the most difficult test he could’ve thought of. Dean seemed to be all the things that the Church wasn’t, but Castiel couldn’t help gravitating towards him. He was the kindest and most interesting person he’d met. Castiel bit his tongue. No, this was all just temptation, nothing more. He had to be strong.

“Ok, it’s time to get back to work. May God be with you on your journey today.”

“And with you too.”

The group murmured in response to Raphael. They separated, beginning to walk to their assigned areas. Everyone had a section of the town to work. Castiel wished his section was further away from the salvage yard. He didn’t want to see Dean again. It was already difficult enough to stay on the Church’s path. He had to be a good Angel, like he was supposed to be. Right?

As Castiel left, he didn’t notice Raphael watching him.  The older Angel had seen the odd exchange between Castiel and Dean, leaving him suspicious. As a missionary leader, his job was more than just guiding missionaries through their work. He also let the Church know of possible issues, and it seemed to him that there was a possible issue on the horizon.

_SPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPN_

“Are you sure about this, Raphael?”

“Yes, Michael. I would not have come to you if I was not sure. Castiel has always been an issue. We’ve suspected him of being weak since the beginning. We need to take care of this before it escalates.”

“I agree. Castiel could be a flight risk. The last thing we need is another Lucifer.”

“Quiet Zachariah! We do not mention that name here. The matter is settled. Take care of it.”

Raphael nodded. He left Michael’s office suppressing a grin. Now he just had to start planning.

_SPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPN_

“Hello, my name is Castiel. I’m a member of-”

The door slammed in his face. Cas sighed. Yet another house failed. He wondered if the others were having better luck. It seemed to him that he wasn’t very good at this. He descended the steps and started to walk over to the next house. Today marked the end of his third week as missionary. So far, he’d been getting rejected, day after day. Dean was the only one who’d talked to him like he was a person. No, Cas thought. He had to stop thinking about Dean. He hadn’t even seen him since the day he’d driven by, two weeks ago.

“Thank you so much for the help. I wouldn’t have been able to pay to get my car fixed, if not for you being so generous.”

“Of course, Mrs. Hopewell. No problem.”

What were the chances? Dean was in the driveway of next house. He was bent under the hood of a truck, fixing something. His gray tee shirt was soaked with sweat and Castiel was struggling not to check out his ass.

“Oh, hello.”

An old woman, Mrs. Hopewell presumably, noticed Castiel’s hesitance and greeted him. Well, it didn’t seem like he could get away now. Dean got out from under the hood and closed it, surprised to see Castiel again.

“Cas?”

“Hello, Dean.”

Mrs. Hopewell seemed to notice the odd tension between the two. She thanked Dean again and retreated back into her house, unnoticed.

“Uh. So. Are you doin’ alright?”

“I am fine. Yourself?”

“Good, good.  Busy.”

“That’s good.”

After a short beat of silence, Castiel smoothed his shirt.

“It was nice to see you, I’d better get back-”

“Wait, uh, want to come have a beer with me?”

Castiel raised an eyebrow.

“Ok, not a beer. Want to get lunch, then? You get a lunch break, don’t you?”

The Angel grumbled.

“Yes, of course I do. I’m not a prisoner.”

Dean shrugged.

“Toe-mate-oh, toe-mah-oh. Come on then, let’s go.”

Castiel got into the passenger seat of the Impala, wondering how he’d lost control of himself yet again. He’d promised himself not to let himself be distracted, but the moment he saw Dean he forgot all that.

“Where do you want to go?”

“I don’t really know anywhere. Anything you pick is fine.”

Dean looked back at the road. It was silent until Dean pulled up to a small diner.

“I know the owners of this place, they’re great.”

Castiel entered the diner, already fascinated.

“Never been to a diner before?”

“No, I’ve never even eaten outside the compound.”

Cas examined a jukebox as Dean said hello to a waitress.

“Hey Jo. How’s it goin’ today?”

“Same old. Can’t complain. Who’s your friend?”

“Hello, I’m Castiel. I am a member of-”

“Heh, come on Cas, let’s sit. Jo’s busy working.”

Dean guided Castiel to a booth.

“Are you ashamed that I’m in the Church of Angelic Truth?”

“What? No!”

“But you didn’t let me introduce myself to your friend.”

“Cas, I’ll be honest. People think the Church is a cult. You know that. Just relax and see what it’s like to be normal.”

Dean picked up a menu and Cas followed suit.

“I’m just getting a burger, you?”

“Um, I don’t really have any money.”

“Its fine, Cas. I’ll pay.”

“Oh, thank you Dean. That is very generous. I suppose I will have the same.”

Dean waved Jo over and put in their orders.

“The burgers here are better than anywhere in the state.”

“I wouldn’t really know.”

“What? You’ve had burgers before, right?”

Castiel looked abashed.

“Oh wow! You’re in for a treat then.”

Jo delivered their food and winked at Dean.

“Have a nice date!”

“Not a date!” Dean called after her.

Castiel was already preoccupied with his food, though.

“In the compound, we don’t eat meat.”

“You poor soul. Just try it.”

Castiel took a bite of the burger and _moaned._ Dean almost choked.

“This is amazing!”

“I know, right? You’ve been missing out.”

They ate in comfortable silence until Dean finished.

“There hasn’t been any more trouble, has there? Your back is healing up ok?”

“Yes, I’ve been fine. My back is much better.”

“I’d like to take a look, if you don’t mind. You probably need the stitches out anyways.”

Castiel agreed and ate the rest of his food happily.

“I never knew how good meat was!”

Dean chuckled and left a tip on the table.

“We can run back to the salvage yard really quick. Shouldn’t be long to take out the stitches.”

“Alright.”

When they arrived back at the house, Castiel sat back in the seat he’d first used when he met Dean.

“Is your friend here today?”

“Who, Bobby? Nah, he’s got some work to do outside the yard.”

“It was very nice of you to help fix that woman’s truck for free.”

“Yeah, well, Mrs. Hopewell’s always been a reliable customer. She just needed to be helped out til her next social security check.”

Dean grabbed some supplies and sat down on the couch.

“So just take off your shirt and sit sideways. Taking stitches out won’t hurt as bad as getting them.”

Castiel did as he was told. As Dean gently worked on his back, the two felt the tension start to rise. Dean kept brushing his hand against Cas’ hips as he tried to keep steady. Once Dean finished, he coughed.

“That should do it. Looks good.”

“Thank you, Dean.”

Castiel turned to face his friend. Still shirtless, the tension heightened even more. There was a brief pause before Castiel’s eyes flicked to Dean’s mouth. Just like that, it was on. They couldn’t tell who made the first move. It was mutual. They leaned together at the same time, meeting in the middle. Castiel had never kissed anyone before, but it felt incredible. One of Dean’s hands was holding his hip and the other was entwined in his hair. His mouth sucked on Cas’ lower lip, slowly teasing him.

“Dean,” Cas panted in a low tone.

They continued their hungered kiss as Dean pulled Cas into his lap. He gently ran his hands across Castiel’s back, feather light. Castiel instinctively ground his hips down. Dean gave a half-growl and a half-moan at that. Castiel was a bit proud that he’d made Dean make that noise.

“Cas, tell me now if you don’t want to keep going.”

Castiel answered by running his tongue across Dean’s and deepening the kiss. They continued rutting for another moment, before Dean wrapped his hands around Cas and stood. Castiel was plastered to Dean as he stumbled his way into the bedroom. Dean lowered Cas onto the bed, careful not to aggravate his healing back.

“Fuck, Cas.” He moaned as he stared at the Angel.

Castiel looked positively debauched. His lips were red and his bare chest was heaving underneath Dean. Cas reached up and unbuttoned Dean’s shirt, leaning up again to kiss him again. Dean flung off his shirt and started to rub Cas’ inner thigh. Cas moaned again, pushing up his hips to meet Dean’s hands.

“Eager,” Dean said with a chuckle.

Cas kissed him again to shut him up, licking his way across Dean’s lips. Dean unbuttoned Cas’ pants and pulled them them off. He quickly got his jeans off as well, his erection straining clearly against his boxers.

“Fuck me, Dean!”

Dean leaned over to his bedside table and grabbed a bottle of lube. Cas kicked off his boxers and freed his cock. Dean coated his fingers and started to gently tease Castiel’s virgin entrance.

“Dean, please!” Cas whined.

Dean smirked and moved to face Castiel’s cock. As he entered one finger, he started licking Cas’ dick. Castiel went wild, barely able to contain himself from the pleasure. He’d never done any of this before, leaving him very sensitive. He was already writhing in Dean’s very capable hands.

Dean first licked around the head and balls, careful not to give too much or too little contact. After Cas seemed like he couldn’t handle it anymore, Dean took his full length into his mouth. He pumped another finger in and out of Castiel, searching for his sweet spot.

“Dean, wait!” Castiel pushed Dean off his cock. “I want to cum with you inside me.”

Dean grabbed a condom and put it on before tackling Castiel down into the sheets and pressing his cock to Cas’ entrance.

“Tell me what you want.”

“I want you to fuck me!”

Dean finally pushed past Castiel’s tight hole, filling him up completely. He fucked his cock in and out, slowly at first, but once he was sure Castiel was used to his length, he went deeper. Cas cried out and gripped Dean’s arms as his prostate was hit again and again.

“Dean!”

“Cum for me, Cas!”

Cas came onto his stomach, without his cock even being touched. At the sight of Cas’ orgasm, Dean leaned in and sucked on his neck, cumming hard.

Dean rolled off of Castiel, panting in a fuzzy post-orgasm bliss. Cas, on the other hand, suddenly sat up looking distraught.

“Cas?”

“I can’t believe I did this. I’ve betrayed the Church.”

Castiel felt the air leave his lungs. The room narrowed and all he could focus on was that he went against such serious rules. He’d not only abandoned his post, but he’d had unmarried sex _with a man._ He couldn’t even picture the punishment he’d receive.

“Cas, breath! You need to relax. Take deep breaths with me, alright?”

Dean put Cas’ hand to his chest and made exaggerated breaths. After a few minutes, it steadied Cas enough to stand up. He gathered his clothes up and dressed in a hurry.

“Just sit down for a minute and we can talk, ok? You don’t need to leave right now.”

“Yes, I do Dean! I’ve broken so many rules, I have to go, I have to confess-”

“To the people who fucking whipped you?! No, you don’t! You’re going to get hurt!”

Dean hopped off the bed and forced Cas to look him in the eye.

“Cas. You can stay here. You don’t have to go back there. Please, think this through.”

“I can’t, Dean. I belong there.”

“No, Cas, I don’t think you do! You clearly realize how screwed up that place is, why do you keep going back? It’s just a matter of time before they do something serious to you!”

“They’d never do that.”

“How do you know? What about that guy, Lucifer?”

Castiel stiffened at the name.

“I don’t know anything about that.”

“Not saying you do. But you know something bad happened to him, right?”

“All the more reason to confess. The punishment won’t be as bad.”

“You shouldn’t be punished at all!”

“Dean, I have to go. I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”

Cas walked out, ignoring Dean’s calls. He was preoccupied with what he was going to say when he confessed to Raphael.

_SPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPN_

Once Castiel arrived home, he began to search for Raphael. He found him outside the dining hall, seeming to be watching the crowd.

“Ah, Castiel, you’ve returned.”

“Yes, Raphael, and I need to talk to you very urgently-”

“No time for that, Michael and Zachariah need to see you.”

“What? Why?”

“You’ll find out in a bit. Come on, it’s important.”

Raphael walked off towards the offices of the higher ranking Angels. Castiel trailed after him, confused about what he should do. When they reached the office, Raphael opened the door and pushed Cas in first. Then he closed the door behind him, abandoning Cas to the other Angels.

“Castiel. We have concerns about you.” Michael began in his booming voice.

“W-what? I don’t understand, why am I here?”

“Raphael has enlightened us about your little friend.” Zachariah responded, smug as usual.

“My friend? Dean? I was just talking to him about faith!”

“No, Castiel, I don’t believe that’s true. You do know that God commands the truth, don’t you?”

Castiel bit his tongue heavily, almost drawing blood.

“For instance, I believe that you have a hickey on your neck.”

Cas slapped his hand to his neck, trying to cover the mark.

“It’s true… I was coming to confess to Raphael, but since you’re here, I’ll tell you. I slept with Dean. I cursed, and I lied, and I even drank.”

“Castiel. I’m horrified at your actions.” Michael rose out of his seat and towered over Cas.

“He saw that my back was bleeding! He insisted on stitching it since I wouldn’t go to the hospital and then he gave me liquor to make it hurt less.”

“You showed your punishment to an outsider?!”

“I had no choice!”

“LIES!” Michael slammed his fist on his desk, starting both Castiel and Zachariah.

“Take him.”

Zachariah crossed the room and grabbed Castiel’s shoulders hard enough to bruise.

“I pray for your forgiveness, Castiel.”

Zachariah jostled Castiel out of a different door, one he’d never seen used. It led into a long hallway that twisted into several different paths. Eventually, Zachariah stopped in front of a plain oak door and unlocked it. Castiel tried to ask about where they were, but Zachariah threatened to make him be silent. The door swung open, revealing a staircase. They descended into the moist, concrete basement in silence. Castiel already was shaking in fear, realizing that this punishment was unlike any he’d seen or heard of. Zachariah stopped at the bottom of the stairs, flipping on a solitary light switch. Several more doors were in front of them, each a heavy metal with a slot cut out of the bottom. Once again, Zachariah took out his keys and unlocked one. When Castiel saw the room, he took an involuntary step backward. It was essentially a prison. There was only a toilet and a hard, metal chair. Other than that, the room was entirely bare.

“Castiel. You must learn the way of the Truth. Until you make up for your sins, you will be here.”

Castiel took another step back, preparing to run. He could only keep thinking about Dean, and how he was right. Castiel prayed that Dean would come, harder than he’d ever prayed before. Zachariah grabbed Cas by the neck of his shirt and tossed him into the room. Cas’ body tumbled into the metal chair, smashing into his barely healed back.

“PLEASE, ZACHARIAH, NO-”

Zachariah shut the door to the cell, leaving Castiel alone. Cas could hear footsteps leading away, back up to the staircase. The lights flipped off again and Zachariah’s footsteps disappeared.

“Z-Zachariah?”

There was no answer.

_SPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPN_

“Hello! My name is-”

“I don’t give a fuck, get in here.”

Dean opened the door wider and ushered in the Angel. The young girl seemed confused, but happy that he acknowledged her.

“Listen to me. Do you know Castiel?”

“Castiel? Of course! He is an Angel, too!”

“Yeah, I know. He used to come door to door around here, before you.”

“Oh, yes. I was reassigned to this area about a week ago.”

“Have you heard from Castiel? Is he okay?”

The Angel shrugged.

“No, but I’m sure he’s doing fine. Would you like to talk about faith?”

“No, I want to talk to Castiel! Where is he?”

“Please, sir, I don’t know. Our Church is loving and kind, they would never hurt-”

“That’s bullshit and I already know it. Cas came to me needing stiches after someone fucking whipped him. So where is he?!”

“I told you! I really don’t know! I haven’t seen him since I was reassigned to his spot!”

Dean huffed and turned away. The Angel was on the verge of tears.

“Listen, if someone were getting punished, like really severely, where would they go?”

“I don’t know! The Church never hurts people!”

“Haven’t we already established that that’s a lie?”

Dean growled and punched the wall beside him.

“Okay! Sometimes when we do bad things, we get punished, but that’s only to help us be forgiven!”

“I don’t need the justifications, just tell me where he is!”

“Um, well, most of the time punishments are done in public. Humiliation is a powerful tool, you know? But I haven’t seen or heard from Castiel at all. The last time anyone saw him was when Raphael was taking him to see Michael. That’s all I know!”

Dean sat down in front of an aerial picture of the compound that he’d printed from Google Maps.

“Show me where that is.”

The frightened girl pointed and then looked back up at Dean.

“Don’t tell anyone what you said to me. Go.”

The Angel fled out the front door as quickly as possible. Bobby appeared from the kitchen, holding his hunting rifle.

“Figure anything out?”

“Got confirmation on what we already know. He’s definitely being held there. But now we also have a building to start with, at least.”

“Boy, how do you know he just doesn’t want to see you?”

“Because none of the other Angels I’ve talked to have heard from him either. With a cult like that? They all know where each other are, 24/7. Somethings wrong, I can feel it.”

“Alright. I’m with you, you know that.”

“Thanks Bobby. I’m still pissed that the cops won’t do anything.”

“Big organization like the Church of Angelic Truth? They always got tons of high-priced lawyers surroundin’ ‘em. Otherwise they’d have been arrested for somethin’ already.”

Dean nodded, staring at the plans. He marked the building where Cas was last seen with an ‘X.’

 _I’ll find you, Cas._ Dean promised silently.

_SPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPN_

Castiel had lost track of time. Had it been a week? A month? He was clueless. Meals came at irregular times and were usually out of order. He was sure that he’d been served lunch, breakfast, and then dinner once. All of this contributed to his disorientation and boredom. The lights were almost always off, leaving him in the pitch black. No one spoke to him or acknowledged him, no matter how loud he screamed.  He missed Dean. He missed the sun. Most of the time, Cas found himself curled into the corner, waiting (hoping) for something to happen.

Dean had been right. This was a cult, a prison, and he never should’ve returned.

Cas heard it right away, a slight squeak when the door near the stairs opened. After all the silence, it was as loud as fireworks to him.

“Hello?! Please, let me out!”

The footsteps were odd this time. They were uncoordinated and heavy, seemingly drunken. When the lights switched on, Castiel anticipated a meal being slid through the door. He was wrong. For the first time since he’d gotten there, the door opened. Zachariah was there, leaning heavily on the doorframe.

“Castiel, you are so bad, ‘rn’t you?”

Zachariah wagged his finger, as if Cas was a wayward child. The stench of booze hit Castiel heavily leaving him anxious. He had nowhere to escape to, his back was already to the wall.

“Always trouble! Just like Lucifer. A bad Angel.”

“I’m not. I’m not a bad Angel.”

“Psh! You are!”

Zachariah advanced into the room. Castiel’s eyes flickered to the still open door.

“Ah, ah, ah! You’d ‘ve to go through me!”

The Angel laughed. Castiel stood up slowly, weak on his unused legs.

“Come ‘ere, Castiel!”

Zachariah lunged, but Cas was quick enough to dodge. The older Angel slammed into the wall that Castiel was in front of moments before.

“You fucker!”

Zachariah clasped a hand over his bleeding nose.

“This is not the conduct of an Angel, Zachariah!”

“You have no right to lecture ANYONE on being an Angel!”

Zachariah lunged again, this time snagging Castiel by his pant leg. The two fell to the ground in a messy fight. Castiel kicked Zachariah in the face over and over until he was released. Before he could get up, though, Zachariah pounced on him, sending him back into the floor. Zachariah drunkenly tried to kiss Castiel, laughing the whole time.

“I’ll show you what’s right…”

“Get off of me!”

Castiel shoved Zachariah away and jumped up. His heart was pounding almost out of his chest. He kicked Zachariah in the head several times, until all he heard was groans. Cas stole the keys from Zachariah’s pocket and ran out the door, locking it behind him. He fled up the steps, stopping to flip off the lights, putting things back the way they were supposed to look. At the top of the stairs, Castiel panted and silently listened. He couldn’t hear anyone, but that didn’t mean the building was empty. He opened the door slowly, making sure that the halls were empty. Zachariah’s yelling could be heard only slightly, and Castiel was sure that the screams would easily be mistaken to be his. He walked through the maze of hallways, weakly making his way towards what he thought to be the exit. He was about to reach Michael’s door when he heard that it was occupied.

“I don’t care what they said, do it anyways… No, no. I want them spread out, maximum recruitment…”

He seemed to be on the phone. Either way, there was no way he could get past Michael. He’d only gotten past Zachariah because he’d been drunk. Castiel began to backtrack through the halls. There had to be more exits than that. He wandered a bit until he found a red ‘EXIT’ sign over a door. Unfortunately, it was alarmed. If he went through it, the fire alarm would start up and alert everyone. The alarm seemed to be the only option, though. Castiel pushed through the door, bracing his ears for the noise. He stumbled outside, feeling the cool air on his skin as beeping blared from the building. It was a bit dark out, but it couldn’t have been very late. Castiel looked down at himself. He stuck out like a sore thumb. His uniform was dirty and he looked like he’d been… well… held captive. He’d have to escape quickly, before anyone saw him.

He left the area around the building as quickly as he could. He stuck to the walls that surrounded the compound, hoping that they’d provide at least a bit of cover. When he was a few yards away, he saw that the fire alarm had attracted quite a crowd. Good. More people made him less visible. He continued on, walking painfully slow towards the exit. The exit was always guarded though, leaving Castiel unsure of how he’d make it through. He froze as he heard a car driving past the other side of the fence. But then, he saw it- the Impala! It had to be Dean! Castiel waved his arms at the car, which stopped immediately. Dean got out, running over to him and holding what appeared to be a gun.

“Cas! Are you hurt?”

“No, I’m fine. What are you guys doing here?”

Bobby was rifling through the trunk until he pulled something out.

“Looking for you. Now, move back, Cas.”

Bolt cutters. Bobby cut the fence in several places, making a hole small enough for Castiel to get out of. Dean hugged Castiel and then kissed him.

“Dean.” Cas sighed, finally safe.

“We gotta go, save the rom-com moments for when we’re safe!”

The group was back in the Impala before anyone had even noticed they’d been there. Dean hit the gas, speeding away from the compound.

Castiel slumped over in the backseat. He couldn’t believe they’d escaped.

“Cas? You doin’ okay?”

“Yes, Dean. I’m tired.”

“Well stay awake, buddy. We’re going to an actual hospital this time.”

“Zachariah said they killed Lucifer.”

“What? He did?”

“Yeah. He was drunk and came to me when I was being held. He insinuated it.”

“Cas. Do you think you’ll be able to testify? If you press charges-”

“Yes. This needs to stop. The whole place is corrupt.”

“I’m proud of you, Cas.” Dean murmured.

When he looked into the rearview mirror again, Castiel had closed his eyes and was already asleep. Bobby motioned to leave him be, so they drove to the hospital with Cas, safe and sound, asleep in the backseat.

_SPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPN_

“Dehydration, a bit of shock, and some bruised ribs. You got off very easy, Castiel.”

Cas smiled weakly at the doctor. Dean was standing on the other side of his hospital bed, clutching his hand.

“You should be fine to leave tomorrow.”

“Thank you, doctor.”

“I believe there are some detectives here, if you’re up to it.”

Dean squeezed Cas’ hand.

“I’m ready.”

The doctor nodded and patted Cas’ shoulder. He opened the door to Cas’ room, allowing to detectives to enter.

“Try not to upset the patient, detectives.”

The doctor left, leaving Castiel, Dean, and the detectives alone.

“Hello, I’m Detective Freeman. This is Detective Bonardi. Can you state your name for us?”

“Castiel.”

“Last name?”

“I don’t have one. Or, I don’t know it, rather.”

“What about your parents’ names?”

“The Church takes the ‘village’ approach to raising kids. No one knows whose kids are whose and whose parents are whose.”

“Alright. Well, why don’t you walk us through what happened?”

Castiel recounted the events of the kidnapping. Then he detailed all the other ways that he knew the Church broke the law. Dean stayed silent at his side through the whole thing.

“Thank you, Castiel. I don’t believe you’ll need to testify. You may want to be very cautious for a while though. The media has already caught wind of this.”

“I’ll take care of him, detectives.”

Dean shook their hands and showed them out. Then he sat down heavily in a plastic chair next to Cas.

“Thank you, Dean.”

“It’s no problem.”

“You’ve done so much for me.”

Cas looked up at Dean, his blue eyes teeming with red. Dean leaned down to kiss him.

“Don’t worry about it. I love you, Cas.”

“I love you too, Dean.”

Castiel smiled his real smile in front of Dean for the first time. Dean couldn’t help but fall in love even harder.

“You know, my brother’s coming up from Stanford soon. He can’t wait to meet you.”

“I can’t wait to meet him either.”

Castiel and Dean didn’t separate through the entire stay at the hospital. Dean was overprotective, refusing to leave Cas alone, even in the most capable hands. Then, he kept Cas away from the vulture reporters that hounded him from the minute they left the hospital. Once the trial began, Dean even held Cas’ hand through every part of the case.


End file.
